Ear-Witness
by Iona Nineve
Summary: A young Garrett secretly attends a meeting of the round table that will drastically alter his life.


**Author's note: Not much to say. So, hope you enjoy and feel free to comment.**

**Disclaimer: I do not, unfortunately, own any of these characters.**

Ear-Witness

The voices of the approaching knights could be heard long before the drawbridge was lowered for their entrance. No one within the city walls of Camelot was more aware of this than a young stable boy, who relied so heavily on his hearing. As the horses' hooves hit the stone of the courtyard this stable boy practiced to be what his heart most desired, a knight, like his kind mentor. from the many entrances into Camelot of the knights of the round table he knew that the man who had taken him under his wing after his accident, Sir Lionel, was at the front of the procession.

From the castle doors Garrett heard the voice of King Arthur. "It's been ten years we celebrate all that's made our kingdom great, liberty and justice for all." The footsteps of the knights moving up the steps signaled Garret to begin his trip through the passageway from the stables to the room which held the round table. "Each of us will now divide in equal shares our countryside, promising equality to all who desire." The king's voice echoed through the stony walls, until they entered the great room where all the knights joined in with their song. Garrett listened as they encircled the table and each placed their weapon behind their chair.

"Liberty. Justice. Trust. Freedom. Peace. Honor. Goodness. Strength. Valor." They listed the duties and attributes of a knight.

"Me! What a lovely sing-a-long. Now let's get down to business, I've waited a long time for this day. What about my new lands?" Sir Ruber ended and rudely usurped the king's place to begin the meeting. Everyone sat down.

"Ah. Sir Ruber, always thinking of yourself." A grumbling followed this remark coming from all around. "As knight of the round table our obligation is to the people and not to ourselves." From his hidden corner Garrett nodded his approval of the king's response." The lands will be divided according to each person's needs."

"Then I need more than anyone. I wouldn't have supported you all these if I thought you were running a charity."

"The king has decided!" Sir Lionel, seated just to the king's right, exclaimed pounding his fist on the table.

"Then it's time for a new king. And I vote for me." This was plainly treason and in direct violation of the knight's code, as Garret well knew. The tension in the room had swelled tangibly at Sir Ruber's statement.

"I will not serve false king."

"Then serve a dead one!" Garrett heard a weapon being pulled from some concealment and the rushed scrambling as the other knights' seized their own weapons and mounted the table in defense of their king. The first sound of battle was a heavy weapon colliding with the head of a knight and the groan of the injured knight. other sounds of collision and metal on metal followed. Then a single person's angry and heavily steps approached the king's chair with a vicious scream. Ruber's weapon met with what Garret could only guess was excaliber, an assumption confirmed by the sound like a rushing wind mixed with Ruber's shouts. Then the thud of a body hitting the floor, and a metallic sound of the resting Excalibur. "One day that sword will be in my hand, and all will be mine. Ruber went through the open door and closed it in time for it to catch the series of thrown swords, the sound of which almost covered the bar locking the doors shut.

For a moment the only sounds were the breathing of knights, then a voice could be heard. "Sir Lionel. Is he alright?" At that moment Garret knew that it had been Sir Lionel who had taken that first head shattering blow.

Then not much above a whisper came King Arthur's voice softly calling, "Sir Lionel."

Garrett didn't need the the voice that said, "He's dead," to know it was true. If he had still lived he would have responded immediately to his king's voice. Sightless eyes brimming with tears for the man who had cared to take a blind boy under his wing and teach him the ways of a knight. Garrett ran from the room, and out of the stables. No one noticed the young, blind stable boy leaving the gates of Camelot. When he finally stopped running he was surrounded by trees in a place entirely unknown to him. From high above the high skreatch of a falcon.


End file.
